Business Insider tells the global tech, finance, stock market, media, economy, lifestyle, real estate, AI and innovative stories you want to know.
Hurricane Melissa has shut down Jamaica's airports and is disrupting flights through the Caribbean.A map published by FlightRadar at around 8 a.m. ET on Wednesday shows how flights to and from the US are avoiding the hurricane, which is the most powerful ever to hit Jamaica.
As the hurricane moved north over Cuba, flights between Florida and the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico were forced to take longer routes around it.There are no flights coming in or out of Jamaica, where Melissa first made landfall, leaving many travelers stranded.Montego Bay Sangster International Airport was particularly hard hit.Daryl Vaz, the country's energy and transport minister, said the country's busiest airport may have suffered "potential disabling impact."Footage obtained by the Jamaica Observer appeared to show rain pouring into the terminal through damaged ceiling tiles, flooding parts of the departure lounge.Vaz said relief flights for the north of the island may instead land at the smaller Ian Fleming Airport.He added that Norman Manley International Airport, which serves the capital, Kingston, is expected to be able to receive relief flights on Thursday.The airports play a vital role in the island's economy, with tourism responsible for a third of its annual revenue.Hurricane Melissa brought sustained winds of 185 mph — stronger than those at the peak of Hurricane Katrina.The storm is so severe that military hurricane hunters were forced to turn back while entering the eye of the storm on Tuesday.Both NOAA and USAF hurricane hunter have now had to return early from missions in #Melissa due to turbulence over the past few days. That says volumes about the intensity of this storm. https://t.co/Eu0cbTh876 https://t.co/yXTd9giw7y pic.twitter.com/Jl7aBX98xXThe 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, part of the US Air Force Reserve, said one of its crews encountered "heavy turbulence" and had to return to Curaçao."During the event, the aircraft briefly experienced forces stronger than normal due to turbulence," it said in a statement."While this does not automatically indicate damage, standard safety procedures require an inspection before returning to operations."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
As the Atlantic ocean warms, climate change is fueling Hurricane Melissa's ferocityHurricane Melissa has rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm due to warming oceans linked to climate change.
Read more »
Hurricane Melissa Is So Strong, Hurricane Hunters Had to Abandon MissionHurricane Melissa is a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained wind gusts of 175 mph as of Monday afternoon.
Read more »
Hurricane Hunters Bravely Face Hurricane Melissa to Gather Critical DataThe U.S. Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the 'Hurricane Hunters,' flew into Hurricane Melissa to collect crucial weather data for the National Hurricane Center. Despite encountering severe turbulence, the crew persevered, providing essential information to track the storm's path and intensity as it threatened several Caribbean islands.
Read more »
'Hurricane Hunters' who flew into eye of Melissa had to turn back due to turbulenceHurricane Melissa is now a Category 5 hurricane nearing landfall in Jamaica.
Read more »
US military moves assets in Caribbean to avoid Hurricane MelissaThe U.S. military has moved some of the assets currently in the Caribbean for its counter-narcotics mission to avoid Hurricane Melissa.
Read more »
Hurricane hunters abort missions due to extreme turbulence in Hurricane MelissaIn a rare occurrence, Hurricane Hunters were forced to abandon their missions twice in two days while attempting to gather data on Hurricane Melissa. The 53rd W
Read more »